BANGKOK, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- Thai authorities are working around the clock to fill the massive 50-metre-deep sinkhole on Samsen Road in Bangkok to prevent further subsidence.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said that about 50,000 sandbags have already been placed in the tunnel void to prevent soil from sliding into the structure of the Vajira Hospital underground train station.
“However, some sandbags were blocked by the collapsed underground electrical shaft, the same one where a pick-up truck was left hanging on Sept 24,” the BMA said in a statement on Thursday.
On Wednesday, a major road collapse in Bangkok’s Dusit district created a 50-metre-deep sinkhole near Vajira Hospital, forcing evacuations and causing severe traffic disruption. No casualties have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who visited the site late on Wednesday night to inspect the operation, said that the broken shaft, which had split into five sections, along with other debris such as electricity poles, must be removed from the sinkhole to prevent obstructing the tunnel sealing works.
He said that such obstacles would otherwise hinder concrete pouring, soil refilling, road restoration, and tunnel repairs.
“All plans are directed by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) and the contractor. We are only observers, bringing in BMA teams to assist where needed,” Chadchart said.
The governor explained that the Samsen Road subsidence was different from the collapse of the State Audit Office building, where lives were at immediate risk.
“This time, it is a battle with nature - with soil, water, and sand. It is about closing the gaps that allow soil to flow down and stopping further damage,” he said.
Chadchart also toured work sites around the affected area to encourage teams whose efforts often go unseen, including waterworks staff, internet providers reconnecting lines, medical personnel on standby, and other frontline workers.
-- BERNAMA
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